West Kootenay Roller Derby rolls into Cominco Arena

West Kootenay Roller Derby (WKRD) rolls into the Trail Memorial Centre this Saturday for a couple matchups that will make your head spin.

The action starts at 5 p.m. when the home team, the Rossland Trail Roller Girls (RTRG), take on Castlegar’s Dam City Rollers. The Dams are coming in hot after defeating their competition last season. But the Nelson Killjoys reminded them last month that it’s anyone’s game when they outplayed Castlegar in the first double-header of Season 6.

“It’s a new purple team this year,” says Dams’ skater and founding team member Kristina Kruchkowski (aka Kitty Karnage). “We still have lots of familiar faces on the bench but have gained some new sisters this season, both of the fresh variety and from the (dissolved) Valley Brutality.”

RTRG is shaping up to be a real contender with the return of a couple all-star players and some new talent. The Red Army is looking to entertain its hometown crowd, according to skater Ashley McKenzie (ASH), and that may come at a price for the Dams.

“I feel like we are no longer the underdog and now are a team to be afraid of,” she admits.

The energy will be high in the arena, between the hard hits, beer garden and oh so cute animals. The SPCA is hosting a half-time show that could result in the adoption of a few animals. But the oohs and ahhs will likely amplify when the animals exit the track to make room for the second bout of the night.

The Killjoys are refocusing their game for a new competitor after WKRD’s Valley Brutality folded due to a low roster. The Spokannibals are traveling from Spokane to battle it out with old friends, some of which they played when they went head to head with the league travel team, the Kootenay Kannibelles.

“We are very excited to be playing them – they rank very close in stats to us so it should be a very evenly matched game,” said Nelson’s Danielle McGrath (McWrath). “We’re keeping a tight team dynamic and really working on keeping our walls strong.”

Doors open at 4 p.m., with the first game at 5 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m.

Follow the derby girls to RTRG’s clubhouse, the Arlington Bar and Grill, post doubleheader for a pint and an autograph.